A: I oversee all the facilities and programs. To sum it up, I’m a motivator, a cheerleader, and a quality control specialist. I want to let the program supervisors do their jobs and be creative, but also challenge them to avoid complacency.

Q: What’s important to remember when talking with your customers?

A: Always treat people the way you want to be treated, which means treat people with respect and listen to their stories and find out about their interests. You learn really fast that it’s a small world, so you’re going to see each other again.

A: It involves patrons with clinical or psychological needs, like the special recreation district we have out here. Growing up in New England there wasn’t a lot of that and I wanted to be part of expanding those services, but it’s competitive and I followed other opportunities.

Q: Is there anyone you look up to or admire?

A: Professionally, I’d say (Vernon Hills Executive Director) Jeff Fougerousse is an outstanding mentor who has taken me under his wing. I like to surround myself with people who are smarter than me, and he has a lot of wisdom. Personally, my dad instilled a strong work ethic in me and helped me find the best ways to communicate with others.

Q: What was your involvement in the Central Lake YMCA becoming the Lakeview Fitness Center in 2012?

A: I had moved from Colorado to Illinois that October and they hired me in December to have the building ready for New Years with only three weeks to go. There was a lot of behind the scenes stuff like writing policies and manuals, hiring a staff, polling the current YMCA patrons, and marketing the facility. It was a fantastic and exciting time in my career. To have an indoor pool for year round swimming and lessons, and preserving the daycare were two huge victories for the community.

Q: Outside of work, do you have any hobbies?

A: I run. I like to do a couple half marathons per year. I’ve done five full marathons in my life, including the Chicago Marathon twice. Now I’m a husband and father of two young children, so I’m investing more and more time into them and I love it.